Hi folks, I recently bought a 7HC Aeronca Champ with the 0-235-D2. It has got some good features like a Scott 3200 tail wheel and double puck Cleveland brakes but I would like to put some bushwheels on it before this summer. I am thinking of the Airstreaks from Bushwheels but I can not decide between the 26" and the 29". I will be doing medium rough off field work mainly to access hunting and fishing spots. I am trying to way out the benefits of the 29" tires, if it would be worth the extra money and loss of performance. Like I said I will be hunting with it, so I will be hauling out loads so I will need as much performance as I can get. Anybody have any PIREPs on this topic? Thanks

Wup!!! Calling Wup!!!

Gump

Bigger IS better...nuff said.

MTV

What's a 7HC? I Googled and see a few references to it, but can't find any definitive information. Is it an alternate model name for an early Citabria?

7HC is approved http://www.akbushwheel.com/images/stori ... _tires.pdf

Yep, as the saying goes...bigger is better. I have the 26" Airsteaks on my Champ and for what I do they are plenty big enough but I still "want" the larger ones....just because they look cool. DO I need them?.... nope. There are a couple other guys there in Alaska that have 31's on their Champs that they use for hunting and fishing. Maybe you can check the Aeronca site and pose them the question to see if the 29's are really needed.
WW

go with at least 29's.

The 7HC is still a Champ but they only made around 25 of them I think. It came from the factory with a nose wheel, a stick in the back and a steering wheel up front! But it was converted back in the late 60s to a tail wheel and a stick in the front. Kind of goofy. It also came stock with the 0-235.

Watch the movie Cherry 2000, It's a crappy B movie, but has a Champ on Airstreaks.

Not even a question, get the 29's. Otherwise you'll just be out time and money trying to sell the 26's to get 29's later....

I would say the masses have spoken....

Coyote Ugly wrote:Watch the movie Cherry 2000, It's a crappy B movie, but has a Champ on Airstreaks.

Is it just me, or is it amazing how bushwheels just make any plane look better.

Just a comment here, albeit a different plane.

I have flown both 29" and 26" on my Rans S-7S. I know the opinion of others who have done the same. For the Rans, I have also come to the conclusion that the 26" is the best fit. Few reasons that this is MY OPINION (it may be different for a champ). Caveat, my 29" are not airstreaks, but the standard older nylon chord ABW - so a little heaver than the airstreak 29 (3lb per tire heavier) and maybe a little stiffer.

What I like about the 29"s: Higher AOA, more prop clearance. They really slow you down quick transition to approach. They look better. I have not landed on 6" rocks, so no experience there.

What I don't like about the 29": They affect the handling of the plane - not as crisp. The is a big weight diff. between the 26 and 29 - 10lbs/tire! They also are heavy on spring-type gear, causing a good amount of fore/aft "shimmy" in certain situations - this is not transferable to the champ. The rolling resistance is fairly high, and I think I get off the ground sooner on the 26". I think overall the directional control is slightly better on the 26", but not a really big differenc.

Overall, I think the 26" is every bit as good at overcoming rough ground as the 29, FOR WHAT I HAVE EXPOSED them too. Rough pastures, small-rock bars, and for sure anything in Idaho that is a "strip" - Vines, Mile High, etc - heck you can do any of those places with 850's or even 800's.

So I would think about the type of flying you really see yourself doing. If you really plan on going ROUGH, go with 29"s. If you want to land in the pastures/fields, hillsides, gravel bars, etc. - keep the plane lighter - the 26" is MORE than adequate.

Thanks for all the responses! I think I might just bite the bullet and buy the 29" Airstreaks. Can't wait!!

I like this picture Dave posted on the Cub site:

http://www.supercub.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1339&d=1297881562

it looks like it has some sort of cub gear with bungees??

at around 4:54 in this slide show is a blue and white 150 hp champ with 31's.
http://vimeo.com/5648535

Yeah, Bob Dylan does Woody Guthrie. Great music to watch this land go by.

Wow.....I like that Champ on SC.org. What is the story with the gear on that thing?

Anyone have pictures of champs on bushwheels?

Tom

Tom wrote:Anyone have pictures of champs on bushwheels?

Tom

Yes...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimak/1084258806/